Hitting Refresh

At this point in summer, I always feels like I'm hitting the refresh button on life. We get back from vacation, and I'm finally sick of eating pizza and everything otherwise bread and cheese, fudge, ice cream, and more. I feel inspired to make to-do lists and work goals. I get this immense urge to clean and purge our entire house.

To lean out my closet.

To cut my hair (I'm contemplating a pixie).

Though it's only July, I start to feel like fall is coming around (my favorite season!), and I imagine pulling out the crock and simmering applesauce all afternoon. I think about crunchy leaves, cuddly sweaters and blankets, and trips to the pumpkin patch. Then I tell myself to stop rushing summer already!

I turn 33 this week. Thursday. My birthday. My own personal holiday. A new year. For whatever reason, this point in July always marks big changes and big possibilities. Ever-personal resolutions. I get visions of the woman I want to be and -- for a while -- feel like I can become her. I make strides.

This year? I'm tired both mentally and physically. I have the desire to do all these things and many more. I feel the inspiration welling inside of me. But the hours in the day don't permit me to do much more than sit on my butt with a colicky infant on my breast. I do multitask and use one of my free hands to draw sloppy mermaids with my soon-to-be early kindergartner. (Yes! She got into the transitional program -- we're so happy to give our girl more time before true kindergarten!)

What to do with all this energy? I decided to cook dinner. It was a small victory. I've not done much more than assemble sandwiches and speed through Hello Fresh meal cards as of late. Doing something small like slicing cucumbers let me feel like I had at least some control over my current destiny. And thank goodness for borrowing a baby swing that freed up my back to move swiftly around the kitchen!

Here she is:

This recipe is based on one from the Moosewood Simple Suppers cookbook. It's a variation of the Vietnamese Noodle Salad that appears on page 111. Can I tell you how great it feels to cook from a book? To page through countless recipes and decide that -- YES! THIS is the ONE! On another note, calling dinner supper makes the meal so much more fulfilling, no?

Here's what you do:

• Chop one cucumber, one carrot, 4 scallions, and whatever other veggies (maybe cherry tomatoes?) you like and toss them into a large bowl.
• The dressing: Mix together 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1-2 teaspoons red curry paste, 1 heaping tablespoon crunchy peanut or sunflower butter, pinch or two of salt, 1/4 cup chopped basil, and the juice from an inch of grated ginger. 
• Cook up 8 ounces of buckwheat soba noodles. Rinse them with cold water and add to the veggies in the bowl. Toss everything in the dressing and serve with tofu croutons.

For the tofu, I used these instructions, tossed the cubes in arrowroot powder, and instead of parchment or anything, I just sprayed the baking sheet with olive oil and baked for 40 minutes.

I have a lot of thoughts to share this week. Obviously with a birthday around the corner, I'm feeling particularly introspective. Plus, I'll be back soon with notes from our wild Wildwood vacation. There was a last-minute opening at a rental Stephen's family has used for over 30 years. We snatched it up on a Friday morning and left Saturday at 6AM.

Do I recommend traveling with a 5-week-old? Stay tuned . . .

Oh! And today is also dairy free day # 1. I'm overwhelmed thinking about it, since my favorite food group on vacation was burrata cheese. I started my day with some vegan overnight oats. I don't love the texture, so I'm not sure if I'll repeat. Anyway, I'll share my progress and any changes I see in Eloise's colic or reflux habits.

Peace out!

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Veggie Co-op Tofu Scramble

So much of my blog is focused around food and eating and vegetarian/vegan recipes, yet I spend very little time on the topic of how I started living my life this way. I’ve been a vegetarian in various forms since I was 12 -- so that’s nearly 20 years of a meat-free existence. I was vegan for several years, but you can read more about why that didn’t work out for me here.

All my formative years of learning how to cook were spent with my nose deep in Moosewood cookbooks. I lived in a Cornell vegetarian cooperative the summer after my freshman year of college where we’d swap cooking duties along with cleaning + other tasks with the entire household. We had communal jars of bulk ingredients like flour, rice, quinoa, etc. -- and we even had this huge tub of nutritional yeast we’d pass around at dinner. (PS: Nutritional yeast goes well on most hot, savory foods. Try it sometime!)

Our living conditions weren’t the most, uh, sanitary. In fact, a broken second floor window in the bathroom allowed for an extra roommate -- a squirrel -- to crash with us every now and again. I even found him eating a jar of peanut butter on the stairs once. And I did get this strange mono-like sickness that no doctor could define through examination or blood after a month of living there.

Still, the whole experience was bliss.

That summer I spent my days cataloging serials and periodicals at the library. My nights were entirely up to me and what happened to be, well, happening. This was the first summer of my freedom as a young adult. And a lot of freedom was fostered through my experiments with foods and this whole vegetarian thing that was still so very new to me.

Cooking-wise, I learned the meaning of TVP, the right method for frying and seasoning tofu, and all sorts of ways to make vegetables the main event on the plate. I wouldn’t say we -- undergrads and grads who spanned in age from 17 to 25 -- were culinary geniuses, but the meals we ate together were pretty darned amazing. So were the vegan brownies . . . and we occasionally found ways to bake greens into those as well.

Anyway . . . if I had to choose a favorite dish from this time period of my life, it would be this tofu scramble. There’s nothing to it. You can use what vegetables are in season or that you already have on hand. It’s very hard to screw it up. And if you don’t get the taste quite right, just hand over the nutritional yeast and it’ll all be good.


BASIC TOFU SCRAMBLE
A recipe I thought was worth resurrecting from this old post.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method . . .

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat and add onion. Saute until glassy.
2. Add mushrooms and broccoli. Saute for another 5 minutes (or so) until broccoli is softened.
3. Now add the garlic, soy sauce, spices, and salt.
4. Crumble the tofu (with your hands) and throw into the pan as well. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes -- stirring often -- until the flavors are well mingled.

PS: We went ahead and started painting our cabinets. Can’t wait to share the results!

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8 Vegetarian Proteins Perfect for Breakfast

As a long-time vegetarian, I must admit I struggle with adding enough protein to my diet. Over the last several months, I've been making strides toward getting my act together. When I eat more protein, I undeniably feel fuller for longer and have a distinct sense of mental clarity that usually gets lost in all my shameless carb-consumption.

Good or bad or, perhaps, lazy,  what I make for breakfast sets the tone for how my day of eating might go. So, I've been focusing on protein-rich foods -- or, rather, I had planned to. But how much should we really start the day with? Apparently I wasn't getting nearly enough!

Exerts seem to agree that runners need "1.0 to 1.6 grams per kilogram a day (or .45 to .72 grams per pound)" each day. So, for me, a 130 pound woman, this means roughly 75 grams daily if I want to hit that goal dead center. Divided by three meals (and maybe a snack or two), I should be shooting for around 20-25 grams at breakfast.

That sounds like a lot.

Solid protein sources that go well with breakfast recipes:

// 1. An EGG contains roughly 6 grams of protein, so if you eat two of them for breakfast, you're already getting in a good chunk of your daily goal!

// 2. 6 ounces of nonfat GREEK YOGURT is just 100 calories, but boasts 18 grams of protein in a neat little container. I avoid flavored varieties, though, which contain an alarming amount of sugar and cost more than a big tub of plain!

// 3. A serving of packaged TOFU comes in at 8 grams of protein, though I often eat a double serving -- 16 grams, yahoo!

// 4. 2 tablespoons of NUT BUTTER contains as much as 8 grams of protein. But be sure to choose varieties with low sugar, no hydrogenated oils or consider making your own.

// 5. A cup of low-fat COTTAGE CHEESE packs an impressive 28 grams of protein, and it's quickly becoming my new favorite snack.

// 6. A half cup of BLACK BEANS will give you 8 grams of protein. Kidney beans, 9 grams. Garbanzos, 7 grams. White beans, 8 grams.

// 7. A cup of SOY MILK provides 8 grams of protein. Skim milk also comes in at 8 grams.

// 8. Each cup of QUINOA has 8 grams of protein. A great substitution for rolled oats, which have an impressive 5 grams per 1/2 dry cup, on more savory days.

+     +     +      +      +     +     +

Having a handy guide for which foods to choose is only half the battle. Stay tuned! In my next post on this topic, I'll be offering up 15 recipe-lite breakfasts incorporating these foods (and others) to total my protein requirement.

Do you care much about protein for breakfast? What foods do you like?

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Sweet + Savory

So, the other day I said those Summer Market Waffles could go either way. Sweet or savory. To use up our mega-stores of squash, we ate the waffles each morning this week. It was a grand week, I must say. And guess what I found out? You don't have to choose just one direction for breakfast to go on the flavor spectrum.

See what I mean?

I'm not the type to go nuts and give a gazillion variations on the same recipe. But I'd say this change up (however slight) on the waffle recipe was a huge winner. So much so, I felt compelled to give it to you TODAY so you'd have it in time for weekend brunch. (I hope you all have at least a little time for a weekend brunch.)

This version two point zero is heartier, more flavorful. Just . . . different. So, give it -- and the original, yellow squash + basil filled Summer Market Waffles -- a try!

ZUCCHINI + CARROT WAFFLES
still vegan, still great topped with syrup or eggs

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• pinch salt
• splash vanilla extract

// Mix everything together, scoop into your waffle maker, and cook as directed.


I was all set to have my sweet breakfast drippy with maple syrup goodness . . . when Stephen motioned over to the stove. He had made surprise tofu scramble! I noticed immediately it wasn't the usual recipe we use (that curried masterpiece is here), but instead a sort of hack -- a shortcut -- with only a few simple ingredients.

TOFU SCRAMBLE HACK

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 block tofu, crumbled
• good pinch salt + pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

// Stephen actually crumbled the tofu the night before (I had no idea!) and mixed in the seasonings to let sit overnight. Then this morning he put a fry pan over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil and cooked until browned on all sides. I imagine you could just put everything together in the moment, though.

Now that we have his + her breakfasts . . .


Here's what he + she will be reading at the beach in the next couple weeks. What are you guys reading? Any suggestions? I'm thinking Under the Dome will keep Stephen occupied for a while, but I'll likely breeze through Cinderella Ate My Daughter.

And don't forget to enter the Mighty Leaf iced tea GIVEAWAY!

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Tofu Salad Cups

So, instead of a Tofu-Avocado Salad sandwich or wrap . . .

Make a mini phyllo bowl!


Obviously you won't have time or the desire to make something snazzy like this for lunch every single day. But once in a while, a delicious phyllo dough crust is just right. Especially in summer, when light finger-type foods are preferred over gigantic, heavy submarine rolls.

HOW TO:

• If you use store bought phyllo, which I'll get to in a moment, you'll need to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or follow the instructions on the box. So, make sure you do that before proceeding. 
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with olive oil or butter/Earth Balance and set aside. 
• Make up a batch of the Tofu-Avocado Salad (or even Avocado-Egg Salad) and set aside // refrigerate.
• I used frozen phyllo dough for this recipe because making my own seemed far too daunting. However, if you're interested, here's a recipe for phyllo dough. 
• The secret to making phyllo cups is being liberal with olive oil or butter/Earth Balance. When it gets too dry -- even just sitting uncovered for a minute -- it breaks apart, and there's no returning from it. There should be information on the package about keeping everything moist and pliable.
• Lay down a large sheet of phyllo, brush it with olive oil, lay down another sheet, brush, another sheet, brush, and yet another sheet with more oil. That's 4 layers total. You could do 3 as well.
• Cut into 5 - 6 inch squares and press them -- gently -- into a (again, greased) muffin tin to form a mini-bowl or cup. 
• Bake for 10 minutes or so, until golden brown. Be careful not to over-bake.

Then all you need to do is let them cool and scoop in the salad . . .


It's crisp. It's light. It's fun. We have a Greek food festival coming up this weekend where we live, so I guess phyllo is on the mind. I have already decided I'm going to try and make my own spanakopita over the weekend.

And if you haven't tried it yet, the Tofu-Avocado Salad and Avocado-Egg Salad recipes are simple + tasty + quick to prepare. We eat one of them at least once a week over here.

What's your favorite light meal for summer? Or have you used phyllo in cooking before? How?

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Celebrate with Pie

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I hope you had a gorgeous weekend. The weather here was chilly, but sunny -- so, I'll take it. As I mentioned in my latest Weekend Things post, I recently made a kick-ass pie. I thought Earth Day would be the perfect occasion to share it with you.

We all need some chocolate on Mondays anyway. And this pie has no refined sugar (or weird substitutes) + is simple enough to make after work and indulge in after dinner. Tonight. You could make this tonight!

Please do.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE PIE WITH LIME 
vegan, gluten-free (option), no refined sugar, and quick to make!

What you'll need for the crust . . . 

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pretzels (use gluten-free if you like or even replace with more nuts)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

 Method . . . 

1. In a food processor, briefly pulse the almonds, walnuts, and pretzels together. I prefer a chunkier crust, but if you like it smoother and more uniform, just keep pulsing.
2. Then add in the maple syrup, vanilla, Earth Balance or oil, and cocoa powder. Pulse until well combined.
3. Then press crust into a tart pan (the removable bottom helps get the pie out once it's all done + chilled). 
4. Set aside while you make the filling. Try not to eat too much of it while you wait. It will tempt you.

What you'll need for the filling . . .

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup lime juice (fresh-squeezed is best)

Method . . .

1. Get a clean tea towel and place your tofu cube inside. Then squeeze and ring out all the excess water. (You can also use a plate to press out the moisture -- I've just been doing it this way lately.)
2. Then place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
3. You can adjust the taste by adding more maple syrup or lime juice, etc.
4. Then pour into your tart pan and spread evenly with a spoon.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to your refrigerator for a couple hours until firm.

I'm not terribly enthused with the photos I got of the finished pie. I starting shooting in the evening as the sun was low in the sky. By morning, there wasn't much photo-worthy left over between what we all ate (Ada included!).

If this recipe looks good to you, I have a few similar variations in the archives:

Chocolate Dream Pie w/ No-Roll Crust
Chocolate-Coconut Pie
Nutella Pie w/ Strawberries

Enjoy!

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Green Curry Tofu Stir-Fry

I'm discovering that the easiest gluten-free dinners to prepare don't revolve around specific gluten replacements or fancy flours and baking methods at all. Instead, they require me to look outside the bread box and redefine what dinner means to our family. We used to eat a ton of stir-fries.

I think we fell out of practice when I was pregnant and many veggies turned my stomach. I got in the habit of eating lots of bread-centric foods  because they went down the easiest. They also continued being a favorite when we were busy with a newborn and they were easy to grab.

Newsflash: We don't have a newborn anymore. So, back to stir-frying!

GREEN CURRY TOFU STIR-FRY

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cake tofu, drained well 
• 1 large head broccoli 
• 1 white onion 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 red pepper, sliced (we were out, but usually use one) 
• 1 to 2 tablespoons green curry paste 
• 15 ounce can low fat coconut milk
• Juice of half a lime

Method . . .

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the green curry paste and coconut milk until well combined. Set aside.
2. Drain your tofu using this method. Cube and set aside while you warm a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large fry pan. Cook the tofu until well browned on all sides.
3. In another, larger pan over medium-high heat, add your oil and onions and garlic. Cook until glassy + fragrant.
4. Then add in the broccoli and red pepper. Cook until softened, but still a bit crunchy. Then add in the mushrooms and cook a few minutes more.
5. Add the coconut curry mix to your veggie pan. Cook for a few minutes, until bubbly.
6. Add the tofu to the veggie/curry pan . . . then cook covered over low heat for another 15 to 30 minutes. Then squirt in the lime and stir.
7. Serve over rice (should make two large servings) and add basil or another garnish as desired. 

I'd say coconut curry stir-fries are our favorite. They aren't quite as authentic as ordering out, but the flavor is more interesting than our other go-to, which is mostly soy sauce mixed with sesame oil. We pretty much go back and fourth between the two.

Here's a Red Curry Stir-Fry recipe we made a while back (with photos taken in the day! sorry about that . . . ). And we sometimes make this tasty marinade, bake the tofu, and serve with roasted veggies. Just another way of making a similar meal.

If you've gone gluten-free or have been trying to eat less gluten, do you try to replace those bread-y foods you used to enjoy or do you shift to eating entirely different sorts of meals? Or maybe a mix?

Enjoy!

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Tofu-Avocado Salad + GF Day 1

One of the most popular recipes on this blog is Avocado-Egg Salad. And for good reason -- that sandwich is dynamite. Now, as I look back on the most recent recipes I've been giving you guys, almost all of them are for cookies, scones, breads, or some other flour-heavy concoction. One-track mind, I guess.

So, in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, here's something GREEN!

TOFU-AVOCADO SALAD
vegan alternative to Avocado-Egg Salad

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 block of extra firm tofu, drained and ripped into chunks 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced out of skin in chunks
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard 
• 1 tablespoon dill, fresh or dry
• Juice of 1/2 to a whole lime, depending on your preference
• Salt + pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Vegenaise (you can also try Tahini!)

Method . . .

1. Put all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. 
2. Note: You can play around with the seasonings to fit your specific preferences. We never make it the same way twice.
3. Then just blend all ingredients together using a knife. More about this technique, check out my Easy Guacamole recipe. I learned it from one of my writing professors in college. 
4. Then eat on its own or use it to top crackers, toasted bread or inside wraps, etc.

I didn't get a great photo of the finished product, but it really just looks a mess like in that last process picture. Makes two gigantic servings or four "normal" ones. We ate ours in Mission Wraps, which I've said goodbye to in this gluten-free adventure.

GLUTEN-FREE

Tofu's gluten-free, right? I mean, I know it is -- I think? -- but I feel like everywhere I look, gluten is lurking. In oats of all places (though we have a package of Bob's Red Mill GF), soy sauce (really???), malt vinegar, some dairy products, etc. Crazy. Just crazy.

I'm going to do the best I can for the next 28 days, but I would like to note that I do not think I have a gluten sensitivity. I got a couple emails urging me not to "self-diagnose" -- which I'm certainly not doing. This period away from gluten is purely to get myself off eating TOO much of a good thing.

Overindulging in chocolate or alcohol or carrots or anything, for that matter, wouldn't be a good thing either . . .

I would say almost all our meals revolve around bread in some capacity. If you go back a few pages in the archives, you'll see what I mean. Naan buns for veggie burgers, pizzas, dinner rolls, scones + waffles for breakfast, the list goes on. Truth is, I got lazy with my cooking. It's easier to grab a slab of crusty bread than it is to take time stir-frying up some veggies.

I will not be going totally gluten-free at the end of the short experiment, I'm just hoping to gain some fresh perspective and start thinking OUTSIDE the bread box.

I'm also seeking . . .

• Better digestion. My stomach is upset a lot of the time and I feel bloated constantly. Maybe from the inflammatory properties in gluten, maybe not. I think this might also have to do with too much salt intake. 
• Beer, too. I have a beer a day -- but I'd like to swap that for wine or cut out alcohol entirely more nights of the week and see if my stomach feels better. (However, any suggestions on good GF beers? I hear Dog Fish makes one.)
• Brighter skin + aura of health. Yes. I just wrote that. I feel dull inside and out. Like the bread soaked the life-juice out of me. 
• Alternative carbohydrate sources to fuel running. I don't need to eat half a large pizza the night before a race, eh? There's got to be other, high-quality foods that can help my running performance.
• More variety in the foods my family eats. I still want to eat pizza every week, but I think we could mix it up a bit and try cauliflower crust and other swaps every now and again. More veggies = more nutrients = healthier family with or without bread.
• Energy. I guess this is an overarching thing -- but my energy levels aren't, well, level at all. I go through lots of peaks and valleys, and I think sugar consumption is also to blame. Of course I can still eat sugar without the gluten, but I think it will be at least slightly more difficult, thereby making me think twice before baking a huge chocolate cake.
• Fewer cravings. Apparently "Eating grains makes you crave grains and sugar since grains break down into sugar, they create a rise in insulin levels when those levels fall you crave more grains and, thus, the vicious cycle continues" (Source).

A lot of how I'll be "measuring" the results of this experiment is by feel. I won't necessarily do measurements or weight because that's not my primary goal. Also, I've started weight training and have been simultaneously getting fitter and heavier with the added muscle, so I don't think it'd be an accurate gauge anyway.


I suppose I'll update you guys a little bit after most of my posts. I hope you enjoyed the Tofu + Avocado Salad recipe. It's a sign of more vibrant, healthy foods to come this month and beyond.

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Stuffed Delicata Squash

This year, we cooked on Saturday. Our belated Thanksgiving table featured some old favorites as well as some new recipes that I know we'll be making next year and beyond.

#1: Stuffed Delicata Squash
#2: Cranberry-Golden Beet relish
#3: Cranberry-Jalapeno Cheddar cheese
#4: Sweet potato stuffing w/ Sunflower bread
#5: Apple Cider & Ginger Glazed Parsnips
#6: Red-skinned mashed potatoes
#7: Miso-Chickpea Vegan Gravy
#8: Bittersweet Chocolate Pie

So, let's get to sharing some recipes!


I've seen lots of great recipes for delicata squash lately. We got a lot of it in our CSA this season, so I've had my share of practice cooking with it. We decided for our meal to use it in our main course.

TOFU LOAF STUFFED DELICATA 

What you'll need . . .

• 2 large delicata squash, cut length-wise and scoop out seeds
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Our Smoked Tofu Loaf recipe for filling

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Put your delicata squash on a baking sheet cut-sizes up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare your tofu loaf mixture. You will be filling each piece of squash with it for baking. Feel free to play around with seasonings, etc.
3. Take the squash out of the oven and distribute the tofu loaf mixture evenly. Then bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until firm and browned.
4. Let cool and slice for serving. Should last several meals for 2 people. Or serves 6.

Seriously delicious and easy to make. And great for dinner any night, not just on Thanksgiving. You can read more about our holiday weekend over on Writing Chapter Three.

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Pumpkin Rut

I've made so many different soups, stews, breads, desserts, etc. with pumpkin. In autumn, I buy a large can of it nearly every week at the grocery store. I don't even think about it, but it's there in the cart at checkout time.

I sat for a good hour trying to think of something NEW to do with pumpkin. Well, that's not all I did during said hour, but you know how it goes when something's on your mind. You carry it with you.

I decided to ask Google for some help.

I searched "ways to use canned pumpkin" and it yielded some good links:

Bon Appetit's 11 Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin
TLC's 10 Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin (Besides in a Pie)
Self.com's 4 Tasty Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin
Food Network's Leftover Canned Pumpkin 5 Ways
Momadvice.com's 8 Ways to Use Canned or Fresh Pumpkin

If you add in my Food for Runners post with 18 pumpkin recipes, I entertained 56 creative, delicious ideas. But many of these recipes -- pumpkin butter, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, etc., etc., etc. -- are sort of been-there-done-that for me.

What to do?


rolled PUMPKIN LASAGNA 
in a SMOKY PUMPKIN CHEDDAR SAUCE

What you'll need for the pasta . . . 

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1+ cup unbleached white flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons hot water (= flax egg)
• 3 tablespoons water

Method . . . 

1. In a food processor, pulse walnuts until they become meal. Then add the flours and salt. Pulse until combined.
2. Add in the pumpkin puree, the flax egg, and water. Mix until a dough ball is formed.
3. Take out of processor. If dough is sticky, knead in more flour until it isn't.
4. Let rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. 
5. Then generously flour a work surface and roll out into a large rectangle. Cut into 8 smaller, longer lasagna rectangles (as shown below). 
6. Set aside until ready for use. 
7. Best part: There is no need to boil noodles before baking lasagna rolls.

What you'll need for the sauce . . .

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method for sauce . . .

1. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and let cook for a couple minutes.
2. Then add the cayenne and paprika. Mix until garlic is coated. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients -- all but the cheese.
4. Once it sauce is well incorporated take off heat and stir in cheese.

What you'll need for the filling . . .

• 1 block extra firm tofu, drained well
• 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small tomato, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . . 

1. Simply crumble the tofu into a large bowl, toss with the black beans and diced tomato.
2. Season with the salt and pepper. 
3.  The key is making sure the tofu is as drained as possible. Otherwise you may have some soggy pasta (but it isn't terrible if that happens).

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz an 8" x 8" (9" x 9" works, too) pan with some olive oil. Then pour in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the sauce into the bottom
2. Lay out your lasagna noodles. Spread each evenly with some sauce, making sure that you have a good 1/2 cup or more of sauce left over.
3. Then evenly distribute the filling mixture.
4. Starting at one end, roll the pasta and then place into your baking dish -- one right next to another.
5. When you have finished rolling the pasta, cover with the remaining sauce.
6. You may also choose to add a bit of shredded cheese on top. 
7. Cover dish with foil and place in oven to 45 minutes.
8. Then take off the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. 
9. We actually did this and then turned off the heat and left the dish in there for another 25 minutes while we gave Ada a bath and it turned out great.

My weakness as a food photographer?

Taking photos of cooked pasta dishes. I never, ever get a good shot! The finished pumpkin pasta tastes much better than this photo would lead you to believe.


Anyway, that's how I busted out of my pumpkin rut. And not only did we have a great dinner, we still have half the food left over for tomorrow's lunch. I'll be the first to say that this recipe SEEMS long and complicated, but I assure you -- it wasn't terribly difficult. Even for a weeknight.

Also, if you'd rather use ricotta in place of tofu, that would be delicious! Alternatively, if you'd like to make this recipe vegan, omit all cheese and consider adding in some nutritional yeast for the flavor.

Have you come across any new, fun pumpkin recipes lately? I'd like to make something sweet that I haven't tried before. Hmmm.

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Some Recipes and Other Stuff

I mentioned it on Twitter this weekend, but I finally had the opportunity to add a large group of recipes to the Recipe Page. I believe there were over 100 added in all. I still need to update the individual recipe pages per category, but if you go to the main page, they should be mostly there.

Tonight for dinner we had roasted Brussels sprouts, BBQ tofu, and skillet cornbread. A delicious, simple meal we managed to make while giving Ada dinner and then a bath.

To roast the sprouts, preheat oven to 400, pour sprouts onto rimmed baking sheet, toss in olive oil + salt + pepper. Bake in 15-minute intervals, stirring between each, until well browned. Likely 45 minutes.

This BBQ sauce is Stephen's baby. He's been perfecting the recipe for a couple weeks. Tonight, he got it JUST right. Once you make it up, you can use it for dipping.

We fried tofu and then cooked it in the sauce a bit until it thickened.


BBQ SAUCE

Combine the following . . .

• 1 clove garlic, sliced sauted in 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon vinegar 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 tablespoon chipotle seasoning 
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 
• 1/2 cup ketchup 
• 1/2 cup pale ale

The cornbread is a variation on our original Olive Oil Skillet Cornbread. I wanted it to have a more unique flavor. And I wanted it to be fluffier.

Check and check!


PEPPERED SKILLET CORNBREAD

You'll need . . . 

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flax meal + 4 tablespoons water
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• Pinch salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup beer of choice (or sparkling water)

To bake it up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spritz a cast iron skillet with some olive oil, let preheat in the oven. In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients except the beer or water. Then add in the dry. Then add in the beer or water. Mix until just combined.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.


Can anyone give me tips on keeping basil better longer? I feel like none of our tricks are working. If we put it in the fridge, it gets icky. If we put it in a bit of water, this happens. I need help!

And last, here are some dreamy cat photos. I'm tired, when I initially typed that out, I wrote "here are some KAT photos."


Also. If you're interested . . .


Today on Writing Chapter Three we've written up a list of our favorite board books, including classic literature favorites adapted for little ones. Like Romeo & Juliet, Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, and more!

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Quinoa Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Did I ever tell you what we ended up doing with our garden? We had some grand plans, but life certainly got in the way. Most years at this time, we'd have far too much squash.Tons of tomatoes. And strange, unknown items readying for a fall harvest.

This year?

A weedy wasteland. There's some mint. Note to you all: Never plant mint. We took some from our neighbors a few years ago (they were desperately chopping it OUT of their gardens), and it's been plaguing us ever since.

Just a few feet away from our barren dirt patch, our other neighbors (our surrogate grandparents) have this:


I've never asked why, but they only ever plant tomatoes. That's all. But they're awesome at it. Their secret for growth? M.a.n.u.r.e. Just a little bit. Every spring, I see Jack, the husband, turning the soil. I guess that's what he's putting in there!

Speaking of tomatoes . . .


We posted a delicious slow-roasted tomato method over the weekend. If you haven't checked it out yet -- now's the perfect time. You'll need between 2 and 3 hours. But it's totally worth it.

They taste incredible on their own. But I promised you a recipe using them. So, here it is!


The Jaws book is to celebrate Shark Week. Stephen actually found this 1st edition copy at a thrift shop over the weekend for $1. One dollar. Yeah. Anyway, this mix isn't exactly difficult to make. It's a simple, quinoa salad with tofu, tomatoes, and a basil dressing.

You'll need the following:

• Slow roasted tomatoes 
• 1 block tofu, pressed, cubed, and fried 
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa (cooked with 1 cup water)

Once you have prepared all of that, toss it in a large bowl. You can also feel free to add whatever else you might like. Roasted squash. Chickpeas. Sliced almonds. Cranberries. Whatever. That's what I like about meals like these.

No rules.


Not-so Secret Sauce:

• 1/4 cup canola oil 
• 1/2 cup white vinegar 
• 1 tablespoons brown mustard 
• 1 clove garlic, chopped 
• 1 to 2 handfuls fresh basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Then pour however much you'd like into the quinoa mixture. Save the rest. Or use it all. Also feel free to add other things to adjust it to your tastes. Like Vegenaise for creaminess. Or avocado. Or nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.

In case you missed it, there are many, MANY health benefits of quinoa. Especially for runners. Just check out this post.


Today on Writing Chapter Three, I'm disclosing that I am indeed pregnant. With emotion. C'mon. A Dreft commercial made me cry yesterday. Ridiculous!

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